On the eve of our wedding in 2008, I confided to every relative and friend who flew to attend the wedding and asked them to bring a handful of rice from Taiwan Province Province. There is a special custom in Guo Yi's wedding: when the newlyweds step out of the auditorium, the guests attending the ceremony will sprinkle a handful of white rice on the newlyweds, wishing them a full house of children and grandchildren in the future. ? Italy's "rice custom"
Rice plays an important role in the customs of Taiwan Province province: in the wedding ceremony, rice screen is used to block the sun to avoid haste, and rice screen is also used to seal the door to prevent the loss of good luck; For Italians, rice symbolizes abundance, wealth and prosperity. A lot of uncooked rice is sprinkled on the couple, which represents the guests' full blessing to the bride and groom.
This tradition is unusual for Taiwan Province girl's daughter-in-law who grew up eating rice: braised pork rice, rice bowl rice cake, mushroom oil rice, rice covered with moss and fried rice in Taiwan Province Province, each hometown flavor not only satisfies the appetite but also soothes the soul. When you get married happily in a foreign land, you can get Sami's blessing. Of course, you should use the sunshine, air and water of Taiwan Province Province to breed good rice. The custom of Misha in Italy was inherited from ancient Greece. In this inherited culture, rice is a symbol of happiness, representing a full house of children and grandchildren. At that time, people would worship rice or wheat in the temple of Demeter, the goddess of grain, and pray for a bumper harvest; This tradition continues from the temple to the wedding, and guest Sammy wishes the couple fruitful results. Another story tells the story of a "good man" from China: in the famine year, a good man pulled out his lower teeth and scattered them in the wilderness, and later planted rice to help everyone through the disaster year.
Italy's "rice history" Some people say that rice is a souvenir brought back from Asia by Alexander the Great, who pioneered the territory. It is also said that in the Middle Ages, when Arabs occupied Sicily, they introduced rice from West Asia to Italy. The third possibility is the shrewd Venetian businessmen, who let rice take root in Europe in the process of East-West trade. No matter how different opinions are, food historians generally believe that rice originated in China and was introduced to Italy via Indian. Coincidentally, the varieties introduced from Boot Peninsula have the same blood line as Penglai rice in Taiwan Province Province, all of which are plump and chubby with Q-shaped nuclei.
During the Roman period, rice was regarded as a precious "exotic product", which was scarce and only lived among princes and nobles, and was regarded as food for health preservation and treatment. What is recorded in the Oxford Italian Cuisine Guide compiled by Oxford University? The Romans also ate porridge, boiled white rice until it softened, and then added almond syrup or milk. It was said that it had a soothing effect on the stomach, and I couldn't help thinking that I made Cantonese porridge with Italian rice and shared it with my in-laws. Dare not give more, a small bowl, I don't expect them to say delicious at all. At that time, I had no idea that Italians had the habit of eating porridge, and I was worried that they could not accept "foreign food". After eating, my mother-in-law told me excitedly that this porridge is just like what my mother cooked for her when she was sick as a child: the big bone soup is sweet, the rice is soft and rotten, simple and plain, but the aroma is overflowing. The foreign daughter-in-law boiled out the "mother flavor" in her mother-in-law's memory, adding another similarity between Taiwan Province Province and Yida. I was really touched.
Italy's rice producing areas are mainly located in Piedmont, Lombardy and Veneto in the north. Clear water comes from the Alps and flows into the Po River, which meanders through Yi Bei. Nearly 700 kilometers of river trunk lines are equipped with well-planned canal channels, which fully irrigate fertile fields, cultivate in April-May and harvest in September 9- 10/October every year. Over the years, Bohe Plain has produced high-quality rice.
Italian cuisine dominated by rice is ever-changing, salty and sweet. From hot soup in winter to refreshing rice salad in summer, stewed rice is one of the stars. 6 supply
Italian rice with the number * * * is classified according to the size (length) of rice grains: une is short and fat, and the rice grains are the smallest, which is usually used for porridge or dessert. Semifino is a little bigger, and the representative variety is "Vianone Nano", which is just right for making rice balls or fried rice balls. The standard grade (fino) is slightly larger, which is resistant to cooking and firm in taste, and is suitable for making rice salad as an appetizer in summer. Superfino's grain is big and fine, which is the best rice for stew. The most famous variety is "Canaroli", which is known as "Ferrari in rice field" and its top taste is self-evident. Another species, Arborio, also belongs to the slender class and is called pearl rice. Although its water absorption is slightly weak, its strong taste is not diminished. It is also suitable for braised rice, and the price is close to the people.
Everyone loves "risotto". Do you know there are stews in operas?
The Italian composer Rossini's work Tancredi describes the love story in the bonfire era with the Crusade as the background. The beautiful aria "Di tanti palpiti" was composed by Rossini when he was about to debut at the age of 20, when he was cooking stew. The beautiful melody was widely sung, and this song was dubbed "Braised Rice Play" by later generations, which made him an instant hit in Europe.
Three main rice producing areas in Yi Bei have developed different rice dishes with local special ingredients. In Piedmont, the hometown of truffles and barolo, these two top ingredients are integrated into the stew, which makes the meal valuable. When you come to Venice, a tourist resort in Venice, you can't miss the comprehensive seafood braised rice and squid ink braised rice, which are the queen of local dishes: the former combines fresh fish and rice in one dish, and the latter is deeply loved by the public because of its special flavor. The risotto is golden in color and is known as the "king of braised rice". It is said that when Milan Cathedral was built in the16th century, saffron was used to color the glass of the cathedral. A crude craftsman accidentally spilled this Huang Chengcheng dye into rice, which made it become a classic food by mistake.
Just like Taiwan Province Province will eat rice cakes in the New Year, zongzi in the Dragon Boat Festival and fried rice in the full moon, all kinds of Italian festivals are without rice.
One Christmas, I was invited to a friend's house in Venice, and the eel stew on the table still lingered in my mind: the southern coast of Venice is the origin of eel, and wild eel will come back every autumn and winter, with tight but not fat meat, which is a good ingredient in this season. My friend's old mother is an expert in dealing with eels, and her skills are extraordinary. The following description happened in a few seconds: she copied out a long and thick nail. "I mercilessly fixed the swaying eel head on the chopping block, grabbed the struggling eel tail in my left hand and held a sharp knife in my right hand, and suddenly the white light flashed.
After the eel is peeled and diced, immediately put it into the pot, stir-fry and lock it delicious, bringing out a crispy taste. Finally, add the stewed rice and cook it together. Old rice must be used for this dish, and old rice is highly absorbent. We should not only absorb the fresh oil of eel, but also absorb the sweetness of vegetable soup when cooking, so as to enhance the taste in a happy atmosphere.
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Eating Italy: Land, dining table and human feelings meet instantly. Author: Yang Furu
Publishing House: Time Publishing House